What Is Coronary Heart Disease? What Are Its Symptoms?
Coronary heart disease is a condition occurring with constriction of blood vessels affecting the oxygen supply to the heart and obstructing the blood flow into it.
Also described as coronary artery disease it mostly occurs as a result of atherosclerosis-a condition occurring with accumulation of fatty materials and plaque on artery walls.
Coronary heart disease causes pain in chest or angina and shortness of breath. It may also lead to heart attack and show several other symptoms.
Coronary heart disease which is considered as one of the major causes of death all over the world most affect people crossing 40 years of age.
Coronary heart disease is commonly observed as genetic condition though it may occur due to diabetes, high blood pressure and several other factors such as cholesterol, menopause, obesity and lack of exercise. Some times smoking leads to this condition.
Although symptoms of coronary heart disease are mostly apparent, sometimes they go unnoticed in a person with this disease.
Coronary heart disease often leads to angina or pain in the chest particularly due to disruption in blood or oxygen supply to heart.
There can be two types of chest pain-one atypical and another typical.
Atypical chest pain is an intense pain occurring on the left side of the chest, abdominal portion and back or arm. This type of pain that comes and goes repeatedly is not linked with any physical activity. Rest cannot bring any relief from atypical chest pain. Medicine known as nitroglycerin too can not provide any relief from this type of pain.
Typical chest pain occurring mostly under the breast bone called sternum often as a result of some activity makes one feel as if he or she is being squeezed.
Typical chest pain can be relieved through rest. The medicine called nitroglycerin can also bring relief from pain.
The chances of coronary heart disease can be more in persons with typical chest pain than those having atypical pain in chest.
Coronary heart disease also causes breath shortness besides resulting in heart attack as primary symptoms. Person with this condition can have fatigue after an activity or exertion.
Treatment of coronary heart disease varies in accordance with its signs and severity.
If a person with coronary heart disease does not have any apparent symptom he can either be given medicines or subjected to angioplasty.
ACE inhibitors can be given to person with this disease mainly for lowering blood pressure.
The patient of coronary heart disease can also be given blood thinners to avoid chances of blood clots. Beta-blockers are given mainly for lowering heart rate.
Calcium channel blockers are given for relaxing arteries whereas diuretics are meant for lowering blood pressure. The patients of coronary heart disease can also be given nitrates for avoiding chest pain besides boosting blood flow to heart.
